WARNING: This “blog-post” contains overt hypocrisy and massive contradiction.
If you follow me on Goodreads, you may or may not have noticed the paucity of blog posts on my Author page (Probably not– since there is fundamentally nothing to notice about nothingness, save its absence of somethingness). I am obviously not a great blogger, and my primary excuse for this is that I am, truthfully, equal parts repelled and bewildered by the very idea of THE BLOG. That sentiment is even expressed clearly by a main character in my first (and only) novel. Yes, I realize how antiquated that sentiment must sound to most of you, but I’m being honest. The best way I can describe my aversion to blogging, and it's not a unique criticism, is that it seems self-indulgent, bloviating, and, very possibly, a waste of time for both reader and writer. It is writing about writing– weakening the tea. While I'm sure it’s an outmoded concept to suggest that if an author has something of substance to say about a subject, they will put it in the story– it sure seems true for me. To quote “The Shoop Shoop Song”, …. If you want to know if he loves you so, IT’S IN HIS KISS (that's where it is)".
It's not like I have nothing to say about life on planet earth. Anyone who has had more than a passing conversation with me will tell you that I can expound (often passionately) on a variety of subjects; society, culture, politics, interpersonal communication, you name it. But, that is in conversation. Conversations are reciprocative and interactive. At their most rewarding, they are opportunities to learn about someone or something and, hopefully, understand more about the world and even about yourself. To me, blogging seems blah blah blah about the person blogging. That used to be called journaling. Today, because it's as easy as hitting SEND, there are ten-million peoploids who regularly, casually, publish personal diaries; confident that their every fleeting thought is a pearl (that's right– a Bowie reference and a Costello reference in the same sentence). Condemn me if you will; these are my opinions.
CONTRADICTION ALERT:
I appreciate the value of blog posts for promoting and marketing a product and/or service, and I have really tried to think of topics and/or angles that would elicit interest in my novel, “Revenge of the Chupacabra” (published Mar. 2016). For a first foray into the literary world, I think I did a fairly good job presenting the story I intended (though I could have rewritten and revised in perpetuum). The friend who suggested that I start a Goodreads Author page also suggested that I blog regularly. I took the advice in earnest (thanks, Zoe), but haven't been able to bring myself to do it until now (sorry, Zoe).
AT LAST– In light of extremely current events in the Trumpian era (late June, 2017) concerning the relation between politics and the media, I would be missing a great opportunity to promote "Revenge of the Chupacabra" if I didn't point out some astounding and unforeseen coincidences and correlations between my book and America's newfound obsession with (and confusion about) Fake News. Those of you who have already read "Revenge..." may have noticed, since reading it, that its overarching theme has become more relevant with each passing 24 hour news-cycle.
Though the story certainly contains a viable, if campy, monster story, and can hopefully be enjoyed on that level as well, my ultimate intention was to describe, and satirize, the difference and the distance between "hard news" and sensationalistic journalism. As the story begins, the character, John Maddox, has grudgingly taken an assignment for The National Enquirer, though his ultimate vocational goal is to write for The New York Times. He is certain that the sensationalistic nature of the Enquirer piece is beneath him. However, not to give anything away, he is eventually disabused of this notion.
For those of you who have had the patience, tenacity, and stomach to attempt to follow the roiling cluster-fuck that is the current relationship between corporate news agencies and the tweeting, U.S. president, the allegory presented in "Revenge of the Chupacabra" should be crystal clear. Furthermore, in an astonishing and disturbing coincidence, "Revenge..." contains a chapter, entitled "MORNING JOE", in which I put amusing words into the mouths of the cast members of MSNBC's flagship program (Mika Brzezinski, Joe Scarborough, Willie Geist, and Mike Barnacle). That particular chapter, written in movie-script form, concerns illegal immigrants crossing the U.S./Mexico border (into Texas). All this, despite the fact that I began the first draft more than three years ago, and published the book in March of 2016. The concept was nothing new, though I hoped to present it in an original and amusing way.
It has been jaw-dropping for me to see the themes and core elements of my story effervesce into the vile froth now floating on the surface of the American political lagoon. I only wish that this hadn't been my first book, and that more readers were able to appreciate the almost comical coincidences unfolding with each passing day.
If you follow me on Goodreads, you may or may not have noticed the paucity of blog posts on my Author page (Probably not– since there is fundamentally nothing to notice about nothingness, save its absence of somethingness). I am obviously not a great blogger, and my primary excuse for this is that I am, truthfully, equal parts repelled and bewildered by the very idea of THE BLOG. That sentiment is even expressed clearly by a main character in my first (and only) novel. Yes, I realize how antiquated that sentiment must sound to most of you, but I’m being honest. The best way I can describe my aversion to blogging, and it's not a unique criticism, is that it seems self-indulgent, bloviating, and, very possibly, a waste of time for both reader and writer. It is writing about writing– weakening the tea. While I'm sure it’s an outmoded concept to suggest that if an author has something of substance to say about a subject, they will put it in the story– it sure seems true for me. To quote “The Shoop Shoop Song”, …. If you want to know if he loves you so, IT’S IN HIS KISS (that's where it is)".
It's not like I have nothing to say about life on planet earth. Anyone who has had more than a passing conversation with me will tell you that I can expound (often passionately) on a variety of subjects; society, culture, politics, interpersonal communication, you name it. But, that is in conversation. Conversations are reciprocative and interactive. At their most rewarding, they are opportunities to learn about someone or something and, hopefully, understand more about the world and even about yourself. To me, blogging seems blah blah blah about the person blogging. That used to be called journaling. Today, because it's as easy as hitting SEND, there are ten-million peoploids who regularly, casually, publish personal diaries; confident that their every fleeting thought is a pearl (that's right– a Bowie reference and a Costello reference in the same sentence). Condemn me if you will; these are my opinions.
CONTRADICTION ALERT:
I appreciate the value of blog posts for promoting and marketing a product and/or service, and I have really tried to think of topics and/or angles that would elicit interest in my novel, “Revenge of the Chupacabra” (published Mar. 2016). For a first foray into the literary world, I think I did a fairly good job presenting the story I intended (though I could have rewritten and revised in perpetuum). The friend who suggested that I start a Goodreads Author page also suggested that I blog regularly. I took the advice in earnest (thanks, Zoe), but haven't been able to bring myself to do it until now (sorry, Zoe).
AT LAST– In light of extremely current events in the Trumpian era (late June, 2017) concerning the relation between politics and the media, I would be missing a great opportunity to promote "Revenge of the Chupacabra" if I didn't point out some astounding and unforeseen coincidences and correlations between my book and America's newfound obsession with (and confusion about) Fake News. Those of you who have already read "Revenge..." may have noticed, since reading it, that its overarching theme has become more relevant with each passing 24 hour news-cycle.
Though the story certainly contains a viable, if campy, monster story, and can hopefully be enjoyed on that level as well, my ultimate intention was to describe, and satirize, the difference and the distance between "hard news" and sensationalistic journalism. As the story begins, the character, John Maddox, has grudgingly taken an assignment for The National Enquirer, though his ultimate vocational goal is to write for The New York Times. He is certain that the sensationalistic nature of the Enquirer piece is beneath him. However, not to give anything away, he is eventually disabused of this notion.
For those of you who have had the patience, tenacity, and stomach to attempt to follow the roiling cluster-fuck that is the current relationship between corporate news agencies and the tweeting, U.S. president, the allegory presented in "Revenge of the Chupacabra" should be crystal clear. Furthermore, in an astonishing and disturbing coincidence, "Revenge..." contains a chapter, entitled "MORNING JOE", in which I put amusing words into the mouths of the cast members of MSNBC's flagship program (Mika Brzezinski, Joe Scarborough, Willie Geist, and Mike Barnacle). That particular chapter, written in movie-script form, concerns illegal immigrants crossing the U.S./Mexico border (into Texas). All this, despite the fact that I began the first draft more than three years ago, and published the book in March of 2016. The concept was nothing new, though I hoped to present it in an original and amusing way.
It has been jaw-dropping for me to see the themes and core elements of my story effervesce into the vile froth now floating on the surface of the American political lagoon. I only wish that this hadn't been my first book, and that more readers were able to appreciate the almost comical coincidences unfolding with each passing day.
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